Wallboard trim



Dec. 1955 .1. R. MUMMERT WALLBOARD TRIM Filed Oct. 28, 1952 JOHN R.MUMMERT,

IN V EN TOR.

wall type construction is frequently adopted.

2,725,607 WALLBOARD TRIM John R. Mummert, Los Angeies, Calif, assignorto Angeles Metal Trim Co., a corporation of California ApplicationOctober 28, 1952, Serial No. 317,290

4 Claims. or. 20-74 This invention relates to improvements in buildingconstruction, and more particularly to an improved metal trim for use indrywall type construction. 7

In the construction of homes and other buildings, dry- In that type ofconstruction the walls are formed by means of a wallboard, such asgypsum-rock panels having cardboard-like sheets on the outer surfacesthereof. Where the edge of the wallboard lies over a structural memberof a building as along an exposed frame member of a door, window, orother opening, formed in the building, it is desirable to make someprovision for protecting and concealing the edge of the wallboard.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved metaltrim for protecting and concealing the edges of pieces of wallboard thatterminate at exposed positions such as those that lie at the sides of adoor, window, or other opening, formed in a building.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an improved trimwhich may be readily applied after the wallboard has been mounted inplace.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a trim member thatis of simple construction, low manufacturing cost, and which may beeasily applied.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drywall constructionwhich is free of paint cracks along its edge and which has a smoothfinish throughout.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention, together with variousadvantages thereof will become apparent from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, illustrating theapplication of this invention to opening;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the door opening takenon the plane 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a trim a door 2 memberconstructed in accordance with this invention;

and

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the trim member taken on the plane4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there isillustrated a doorway to which this invention has been applied. Thedoorway is formed by two vertical frame members 10 at the sides thereofand a horizontal frame member 12 at the top thereof. Each of thevertical frame members 10 consists of a cripple 14, such as atwo-by-four, and a jamb 16, such as a oneby four. Each jarnb and itsassociated cripple are secured together firmly by finishing nails (notshown) to form a single rigid vertical frame member. The horizontalframe member 12 likewise consists of a two-by four rough header 18 and aone-by-four finish header 2t), similarly secured together. A stop 22 maybe secured, if needed, to one of the vertical frame members 10 in orderto limit movement of the unhinged edge of the door 24. Y

Panels or other pieces 30, of wallboard are nailed in Patented Dec. 6,1955 place, forming a smooth surface on the interior of the wall whichsurrounds the doorway. The panels are first nailed to structural membersof the wall at a distance from the doorway and then the edges near thedoorway are finished off as described below. Normally such panels have athickness-of about one-half inch and are several feet wide and severalfeet long.

According to this invention, the edges 32' of the wallboard adjacent theframe members, such as the vertical members 10, are concealed andprotected by means of an improved trim member 40 that is formed bybending a strip of metal to the desired L-shape as described below.

The trim member 40 comprises a flat side trim section 42 and a flatfront trim section 44. The two trim sections 42 and 44 are joined by aforwardly projecting convex head 46' that lies on the same side of theside trim section 42 as does the front trim section 44. The bead extendsonly a short distance of about from the outer surface of the front trimsection.

A resilient foot 47 having a cross-section in the form of about a 60 orconvex arc extends along the rear edge of the side trim section 42, onthe same side thereof as the bead 46 and the front trim section 44.

The entire trim member 40 is of elongated unitary construction beingformed by bending a strip of sheet metal stock. For this purpose, thebest metal to employ is of the non-rusting type, such as aluminum. Thetwo trim sections 42 and 44 are in the shape of elongated rectangleshaving parallel elongated edges. The junction of the foot 47 with theside trim section 42 is parallel to the junction of the head 46 with thefront edge of the side trim section.

It is to be noted that the elongated bead 46 that joins the side andfront trim sections 42 and 44 is formed integrally with those sectionsalong the elongated edge that is at the front of the side trim section42 and along the elongated edge of the front trim section 44 that isadja cent the bead. The side of the elongated bead that is joined withthe side trim section is substantially coplanar with the side trimsection 42, and it is substantially orthogonal to, that is substantiallyperpendicular to, the front trim section 44. In this way the bead isdisposed in a substantially upstanding configuration that extends awayfrom the frame member on which the trim member is mounted and areentrant portion is formed at the front'of the front trim section.

For use with wallboards having a thickness of one-half inch the widthsof the trim members 42 and 44 are-each about inch. The foot 47 extendsabout from the side trim section 42. Bonding holes'48 having diametersof about 54 are arranged in staggered relationship along the length ofthe front trim section 44. The face of the side trim member is smoothand free of holes. Thin aluminum sheet stock having a thickness of about0.020 inch is suitable. The angle between the trim sections 42 and 44 isslightly less than 90". A suitable angle is about 86. The members aresupplied in standard lengths of 3', 6 and the like.

According to this invention, grooves 50, 51 and 52 are cut by means of asaw along the'wall faces 59a, 51a and 52a of the various frame members10, preferably being 'formed in the wall faces of the jambs 16 and thefinish header 20 surrounding the doorway. The grooves 56, 51

than about so that a foot 47 pressed therein will be compressedslightly. The grooves have depths slightly greater than the width of theside trim sections 42 less the thickness of the panels 30 of wallboards,being in the present instance approximately one-half inch deep.

The outer surfaces of the trim member 40 are painted with a suitablebase such as a zinc-chromite type of paint to facilitate bonding of wallpaint and joint cement thereto, as explained below.

To finish off the doorway, in accordance with this invention, sectionsof trim members 40 of suitable length are placed along the edges 32 ofthe wallboard that are adjacent the frame members of the doorway.Preferably, the lengths of the trim member are such that butting ofsections of trim member intermediate the ends of the frame members isavoided.

In finishing off the wallboard, the side sections 42 of the trim membersare inserted in the grooves 50, 51 and 52 with the feet 47 pressedsnugly therein. By pressing the front sections 44 of the trim membersflat against the outer surfaces of the panels 30, the outer surfaces ofthe side sections 42 are pressed fiat against the sides of the groovesthat lie adjacent the doorway. In this way each side trim section 42 isplaced in intimate contact with the adjacent structural member on whichit is mounted, and the side trim section projects substantiallyperpendicularly from the outer surfaces 50a, 51a, and 52a of suchstructural member, as indicated, for example, in Fig. 2. Thus, a recessis formed between each frame member and the front face 44 of the trimmember 40 mounted thereon for enclosing the edge of the wallboard panelthat lies on the frame member. Fasteners in the form of nails 55 driventhrough the front sections of the trim members and through the coveredportion of the wallboard into the adjacent frame members hold the edgesof the panels of wallboard and the trim members 40 securely in place.The inner surfaces of the front trim sections are thus pressed againstthe outer surfaces of the panels 30 of wallboard covered by them, thus,in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated, establishing anorthogonal or right-angle relationship between the planes of the sideand front trim sections 42 and 44. With this arrangement, the edges 32of the wallboard are concealed and protected from damage. To avoidpopping out of nails after the wall is finished, cement-coated nails arepreferably employed.

In finishing off the wallboard, the reentrant portions formed by thebeads 46 along the edges of the wallboard are filled with bodies 58 ofsuitable filler material, such as joint cement. Preferably three coatsof such joint cement are applied, and the outer portions thereof aremade fiush with the outer edge of the bead 46. In this process the jointcement is squeezed through the bonding holes 48 and is applied over theexposed parts of the wall board panels adjacent the front trim sections44, thus providing a firm bond between the joint cement and the trimmembers and the adjacent parts of the wallboard panels. The body offiller material so applied to each trim section covers the entire fronttrim section 44 including the free edge of the front trim section thatis remote from the convex bead, and it is tapered gradually toward theremaining exposed part of the wallboard. In this way the bodies offiller material conceal the entire front trim sections and also theadjacent parts of the wallboard, as shown, for example, in Fig. 2. Inaddition, paper tape 56 is secured over seams or joints between adjacentpanels of the wallboard.

Then the entire exposed surface of the wall is coated with texture, amixture of a sealer and bonding cement, finishing the wall smoothly,preparatory to the application of paint. The outer surfaces of thesidetrim section 42 as Well as the outer surfaces of the finish members 16and 2t) and the stop 22 are then painted and the wall is painted too. Inthis connection it is to be noted that by virtue of the lateral pressureexerted by the side trim members 42 on the outer surfaces of the grooves50, 51 and 52, paint cracks are avoided in the corners 60 between thetrim members and the jambs and the finish header.

If the wall is to be covered with wallpaper instead of paint it is notnecessary to employ paper tape over the seams or joints between adjacentpanels of the wallpaper. Also in this case it is not necessary to coverthe wall with texture, as described above.

With this trim member an excellent finish is provided even though thewall faces of the jamb and the finish header are not flush with the wallfaces of the two-byfours to which they are nailed. Though the inventionhas been described with particular reference to the use of frame memberswhich consist of two parts, namely, a finished one-by-four and atwo-by-four that may be rough, it is clear that the invention may alsobe applied by employing finished two-by-fourss as frame members.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to aspecific embodiment thereof, it will now be obvious to those skilled inthe art that many changes may be made in the shape and dimensions of theparts and in the material of which the trim member is composed withoutdeparting from the invention. Thus, for example, in the particular formof the invention illustrated in the drawing the front edge 49 of thefoot 47 is the furtherrnost portion of the foot from the side trimsection 42. This arrangement facilitates locking the trim memberpermanently in place. However, if the outer edge of the foot member isturned inwardly, thereby presenting an arced portion of the foot insteadof a sharp edge for contact with the side of the groove 52, the trimmember may be removed readily. It is therefore to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the specific embodiment thereof described indetail herein but includes other embodiments coming within the scope ofthe appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination, a frame member framing a door, window, or otherstructural opening formed in a building, said frame member having agroove along its length on the wall face thereof, an elongatedsubstantially L-shaped unitary trim member comprising a straightsubstantially planar side trim section having a first elongated edgeprojecting into said groove, said first elongated edge of said side trimsection being reversed upon itself thereby to define a resilient footcontiguous with the opposed side walls of said groove for resilientlypressing said side trim section against a side wall of said groove, saidtrim member further comprising a straight substantially planar fronttrim section disposed adjacent said frame member and projectingsubstantially orthogonally from said side trim section in a directionaway from said structural opening, said side and front trim sectionsbeing joined to one another along a common junction edge substantiallyparallel to said first elongated edge by an elongated convex bead formedintegrally with said side and front trim sections along an elongatededge of each of said sections, one side of said elongated bead beingsubstantially coplanar with said side trim section and beingsubstantially orthogonal to said front trim section whereby said bead isdisposed in a substantially upstanding configuration extending away fromsaid frame member with respect to the plane of said front trim sectionand defines a reentrant portion for said front trim section, said fronttrim section having a plurality of bonding holes thereon, a piece ofwallboard having an elongated edge thereof adjacent said side trirnsection, said elongated edge of said piece of wallboard being interposedbetween said front trim section and said frame member, said piece ofwallboard extending away from said structural opening, a plurality offasteners spaced from said bonding holes and extending through saidfront trim section and thence through said piece of wallboard into saidframe member, and a body of joint cement adjacent said front trimsection and filling the reentrant portion thereof formed on thewallboard side of said elongated bead, said joint cement engaging saidbonding holes, said fasteners, the edge of said front trim sectionremote from said elongated bead, and the adjacent portion of saidwallboard extending beyond said front trim section away from saidstructural opening, the outer surface of said body of joint cement beingflush with the outer edge of said elongated bead, whereby saidfasteners, the edge of said front trim section remote from saidelongated bead, and the said adjacent portion of said wallboard areconcealed.

2. In combination, a frame member framing a door, window, or otherstructural opening formed in a building, said frame member having agroove along its length on the wall face thereof, an elongatedsubstantially L- shaped unitary trim member comprising a straightsubstantially planar side trim section having a first elongated edgeprojecting into said groove, said first elongated edge of said side trimsection being reversed upon itself thereby to define a resilient footcontiguous with the opposed side walls of said groove for resilientlypressing said side trim section against a side wall of said groove, saidtrim member further comprising a straight substantially planar fronttrim section disposed adjacent said frame member and projectingsubstantially orthogonally from said side trim section in a directionaway from said structural opening, an elongated convex bead joining saidside and front trim sections along a common junction edge substantiallyparallel to said first elongated edge, said bead being formed integrallywith said side and front trim sections along an elongated edge of eachof said sections, one side of said elongated bead being substantiallycoplanar with said side trim section and being substantially orthogonalto said front trim section whereby said bead is disposed in asubstantially upstanding configuration extending away from said framemember with respect to the plane of said front trim section and definesa reentrant portion for said front trim section, a piece of wallboardhaving an elongated edge thereof adjacent said side trim section, saidelongated edge of said piece of wallboard being interposed between saidfront trim section and said frame member, said piece of wallboardextending away from said structural opening, and a plurality offasteners extending through said front trim section and thence throughsaid piece of wall board into said frame member.

3. In combination, a structural member in a building, said structuralmember having a groove along its length on the wall face thereof, anelongated substantially L shaped unitary trim member comprising astraight substantially planar side trim section having a first elongatededge projecting into said groove, said first elongated edge of said sidetrim section being reversed upon itself thereby to define a resilientfoot contiguous with the opposed side walls of said groove forresiliently pressing said side trim section against a side wall of saidgroove, said trim member further comprising a straight substantiallyplanar front trim section disposed adjacent said structural member, anelongated convex bead joining said side and front trim sections along acommon junction edge substantially parallel to said structural member,said bead being formed integrally with said side and front trim sectionsalong an elongated edge of each of said sections, one side of saidelongated bead being substantially coplanar with said side trim sectionand being substantially orthogonal to said front trim section wherebysaid bead is disposed in a substantially upstanding configurationextending away from said structural member with respect to the plane ofsaid front trim section and defines a reentrant portion for said fronttrim section, a piece of wallboard having an elongated edge thereofadjacent said side trim section, said elongated edge of said piece ofwallboard being interposed between said front trim section and saidstructural member, said piece of wallboard extending away from said sidetrim section, a plurality of fasteners extending through said front trimsection and thence through said piece of wallboard into said framemember, and a body of filler material adjacent said front trim sectionand filling the reentrant portion thereof formed on the wallboard sideof said elongated bead, the outer surface of said body of fillermaterial being flush with the outer edge of said elongated bead, saidbody of filler material covering the edge of said front trim sectionremote from said elongated bead, whereby the edge of said front trimsection remote from said elongated bead and the said adjacent portion ofsaid wallboard are concealed.

4. In combination, a structural member in a building, an elongatedsubstantially L-shaped unitary trim member comprising a straightsubstantially planar side trim section having an elongated edge inintimate contact with said structural member, said trim member furthercomprising a straight substantially planar front trim section disposedadjacent said structural member, an elongated convex bead joining saidside and front trim sections along a common junction substantiallyparallel to said structural member, said bead being formed integrallywith said side and front trim sections along an elongated edge of eachof said sections, one side of said elongated bead being substantiallycoplanar with said side trim section and being substantially orthogonalto said front trim section whereby said bead is disposed in asubstantially upstanding configuration extending away from saidstructural member with respect to the plane of said front trim sectionand defines a reentrant portion for said front trimsection, a piece ofwallboard having an elongated edge thereof adjacent said side trimsection, said elongated edge of said piece of wallboard being interposedbetween said front trim section and said structural member, said pieceof wallboard extending away from said side trim section, a plurality offasteners extending through said front trim section and thence throughsaid piece of wallboard into said frame member, and a body of fillermaterial adjacent said front trim section and filling the reentrantportion thereof formed on the wallboard side of said elongated bead, theouter surface of said body of filler material being flush with the outeredge of said elongated bead, said body of filler material covering theedge of said front trim section remote from said elongated bead, wherebythe edge of said front trim section remote from said elongated bead andthe said adjacent portion of said wallboard are concealed.

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